Public Deliberation & Dialogue
Because we live in a democratic society—one that is often described as polarized, cynical, and indifferent—bringing different perspectives together to decide how to navigate challenges and move forward together is a critical skill. Public Deliberation & Dialogue (PDD) facilitates meaningful conversations among students and community members about issues of common concern.
Questions about Public Deliberation & Dialogue? g-directorpdd [at] gustavus.edu (Contact Us)
What is dialogue?
Dialogue enables participants to effectively share their personal values, identities, and perspectives. In dialogue, participants listen to and learn about their commonalities and differences. Dialogues fundamentally ask, “who are you?” and “what do you value?”. The goal is to understand.
What is deliberation?
Through deliberation, community members come together to weigh their options about how to move forward on a critical issue. Asking “what do we value?” and “what should we do?”, deliberation improves understanding of the issue and diverse perspectives and leads to more inclusive development of ethical policies and practices. The goal is to decide.
Register for a Deliberation
Please register at least 24 hours in advance of a deliberation in order to ensure your participation. Each deliberation must have a minimum of five participants. If you don't pre-register, the deliberation may be canceled. The registration link takes you to a booking page where you will have the option to select the topic, date, and time slot.
Deliberation Location: Beck 305
Questions may be directed to g-directorpdd [at] gustavus.edu (g-directorpdd[at]gustavus[dot]edu).
INSTRUCTIONS: To reserve a spot, click on the registration link below. The registration link takes you to a booking page where you will have the option to select the topic, date, and time slot. Select from the available dates and times that works best for your schedule. You will receive confirmation in your email.
PRO TIP 1: Register for the earliest session you can for your chosen topic. Deliberations are held when 5five or more people register for the same deliberation session. Choosing an earlier date gives you a chance to reschedule later if the one you register for gets canceled.
PRO TIP 2: Pay attention to the number of seats available in each session. There are 12 seats offered in every deliberation session. Sessions with seven or fewer seats available will most likely be held.
Topics and Schedule
Learn more about the schedule and topics for fall 2026 deliberations.
Join PDD
If you'd like to learn more about PDD, please reach out to a current Fellow or the PDD Director at g-directorpdd [at] gustavus.edu (g-directorpdd[at]gustavus[dot]edu).
Students from any major may join the Public Deliberation & Dialogue (PDD) program. Student Fellows learn to facilitate dialogue and deliberation for the campus and the community. The skills that Fellows develop through facilitating conversations prepare them to be more effective communicators, leaders, and teammates. Students earn 1 or 2 course credits for each semester that they are enrolled in the program (register for COM 220). This course is repeatable.
Student Fellows:
- Develop their ability to reason and communicate effectively in written and oral modes.
- Learn how to invite and include multiple perspectives in deliberation over critical issues.
- Facilitate deliberation on campus.
Integrating Deliberation in Courses
Deliberation has been proven to help students with considering different perspectives and learning more about complex issues. It also provides them with opportunities to practice and improve their oral communication skills.
Instructors can integrate deliberation into their course by requiring or encouraging students to participate in one or more deliberations, outside of scheduled class time. Student Fellows from the Public Deliberation & Dialogue program will host deliberations at various times throughout the week.